Vampire 5th Edition "Courts of the Damned" Part 1

Exploring Vampire Politics: Courts of the Damned Overview Welcome to the 25 Years of Vampire the Masquerade podcast Retrospect. Speaker 2 Hello everybody. Tonight we're beginning our discussion of Courts of the Damned. What Vampires Truly Fight For: Understanding the Stakes This is one of those books I've been looking forward to talking about because I think it approaches Vampire from a direction we don't often see. It doesn't begin by asking who the Prince is. It doesn't begin by asking what clan controls the city. It doesn't even begin by asking what sect you're playing and asks a much better question. You know, quite frankly, I enjoy the fact that it just up front says what are vampires actually fighting over? Now at at first it sounds like an easy question, right? You could, you could throw out power, you could say status, prestige, being Prince influence, whatever. And, and those are the answers most of us will probably give, but I don't think any of those are actually correct. They're outcomes, right? Those are actually outcomes. They're not the prize. Power is what you gain after you've already won the thing everyone else is competing over. So the real question becomes what what is that thing? Right? Because if we don't understand what vampires actually compete over, suddenly every court, every conspiracy, boon betrayal starts, starts making a lot more sense when you see it, you know, the book, the book calls these the stakes. And I think that's a brilliant name. It's a definition we all needed. Just no one ever did it. And it not because they're they're things worth fighting over, right? It's because they're the things that society can't function without, right? It targets what it is you need. And if I took every Prince out of every Camarillo city tomorrow, the Camarillo would would probably survive, most likely, right? It's what the beckoning did, in fact. But if I removed every primogen, still would survive. What if I removed every sheriff? Well, it probably would survive, at least for a little while. But if I removed access to blood, or destroyed every secure haven, or expose every kindred secret, slowly the society collapses. Maybe not slowly. Probably collapse almost immediately, right? Probably overnight, in fact, if you've lost those key things. And that's what a stake is. It's not simply valuable, it's essential. Blood as an Economy: Who Controls the Essential Resource? So let's talk about those steaks because the book does go over them, introduce them, I should say, and I think it's worth noting here now it does a lot more than this. I want to let you know it sets up for anybody who doesn't know politics, a beginning to end, right? Sort of a nuts to soup thing. However, I've done a lot of that I over in previous books It, it rehashes a lot of that and makes it more succinct. I will give you that. It's good to have it in a book in front of you, especially for those who like that confidence and tangible of one book solution. This does that. However, let's talk about the stakes themselves, and let's get to it. And we begin with blood. And it's the obvious one, right? Blood. Every vampire needs it, and no vampire escapes it. The oldest elder and the youngest fledging both Wick every night with the exact same problem. They they need to feed. It got me thinking. I'm not. I'm not sure we often describe blood as food. I think we do, at least in a lot of games. I like to say I do, but to be honest it's it's usually a back thought. You're a vampire, you need food. But I want to get to the plot, I want to get to role play, blah blah blah. I'm not sure that's the best comparison though is to call blood as food though. I actually think blood is more of an economy. I mean think about it, every kindred consumes blood. Nobody manufacturers blood, nobody mines blood. Nobody creates more blood. The entire society depends upon controlling access to a limited resource that's constantly being consumed. That's economics, isn't it? But now ask yourself, who actually controls the blood in a city? Is it the Prince? Possibly. Or is it the venture who owns the private hospitals? Or is it the tortor who controls the nightclub district? Could be the Nasratu who can move homeless populations without anyone noticing. Could even be the thin blood chemist supplying blood substitutes. Well, to those vampires who can't really hunt, at least can't do it safely, that those are all different answers to to the same solution, right? They they are part of that economy and every one of them creates a different political landscape. So the question I'd leave with all of you, if I if I offered you status 5 or unrestricted feeding rights anywhere in your city, which one would you choose? Well, I know I take the blood every single time. Status doesn't feed the beast. Status doesn't make it to where you have the the control you would or the neces. Basically, you make yourself irreplaceable. If you control the blood in the city, they need you to do what you do now. They might need everybody else around you if you prove too obstinate, but that's just politics, right? And that's just one stake. Legitimate Violence: The Power of Force and the Sheriff Now we get to the interesting part. Smooth is something that's easy to misunderstand. Let's talk about force. This is a stake as well. Force is not violence. Two very different things if you think about it, right? If we can move something by force, right? Things like that. We hear that all the time. I could force you to do something, blah, blah, blah, but I don't necessarily need to be violent to get you forced to do something, right? We know that anybody can punch someone, can pull a trigger, can commit murder, however, forces something entirely different. It's legitimate violence. That's why that's the way I want you to look at it. It's violence society agrees you're allowed to use. I think it's a better way of putting it. That's why the sheriff matters. The sheriff isn't terrifying because isn't terrifying because they could fight. I mean, OK, yeah, they're they usually can fight, but let's be honest, they are probably Bruja. They're probably Bruja in every city who could beat the sheriff in a straight fight. Gangrel as well, probably straight killing. But that's not where the office gets its power, right? The sheriff's power comes from the fact that the Prince, and by extension the city, has recognized their right to enforce the law. We said the sheriff gets to lay hands and enforce the law. That's legitimacy. And legitimacy is one of the strongest forces in politics. And, and here's the thought experiment for you tomorrow night. The sheriff refuses a direct order from the Prince. Just assume who wins. Right now, most people are going to say the Prince. I say really because because why would that you think because they have a higher title that makes the difference? Or do you think that because enough people choose to obey the Prince versus the sheriff? Is that where your head's AT? And that's politics. If you can't have an easy answer because power doesn't exist because somebody declares it. Power is a thing that exists because other people accept it. The majority have to accept who has the power for that person to be in power. And that is in essentially the reason the Prince has power. And the sheriff is yet another tool that the Prince, if used correctly, stays above, keeps in check and makes certain that they represent the Prince. That's how they want it to always be done and then maintains that power. But it can be flipped. Just depends. Secrets as Leverage: Information's Enduring Value in Politics So we roll to one of my favorite, I, I would say almost my, the favorite steak that there could be that is essential in the city. Secrets. You know, if I had to choose only one of these stakes to control it, it would be this one, you know, without hesitation because secrets are the only resource on this list that actually becomes more valuable over time. You know, money can get spent, blood gets consumed, territory changes hands. But a secret, well, that just keeps growing because you can imagine, 2 vampires, 1 owns $10 million. The other possesses undeniable proof that the Prince committed Diabre 200 years ago. Who's wealthier? And, and I would argue it's the second vampire who has that type of blackmail because information that it can become blackmail, right? So if you can, you can transfer to a boon, it could become protection, leverage, revolution, whatever you need. Because information is unique, because it changes the value of every other resource around it. That's why Nosferatu have always been a fascination for me. Not because they're physically strong, not because they're the highest ranked, not because they're never seen, but it's because they always seem to have all the secrets possible right in their backyard, never really use, just waiting to be used. And when they need to, they're able to use it. And that makes them indispensable. That makes them powerful. And you know, knowledge is indeed power in that regard. I honestly think that's one of the greatest lessons in Vampire that if you have information and it's just leverage, meaning you're not using it, someone people in power know you have this over them. Often you get what you want. Often people look out for you and you don't even see that they're looking out for you because of the little time bomb you have. That's relevant. Also puts a big giant target on your back because if ever there's a situation where you could be killed before you can bring that information to light and they can guarantee it. You get what I'm getting at such a dangerous Stamacles blade, but it's necessary. Haven as Stability: The Post-Inquisition Importance of Shelter But shelter was something that I I saw in this book and it made me think of so much here. It's another stake. It just surprised me, you know, Shelter, if you'd asked me 10 years ago what the most valuable thing in Vampire was, I I don't know if Shelter would even make that list. But today, especially after the Second Inquisition introduced in V5, it's near the top. Because the Haven isn't simply somewhere you sleep anymore. It's security continuity. You know, it's a, it's the confidence that when the sun comes up, you're still going to be there when it goes down again. And if you think how vulnerable your character becomes, the moment somebody learns where your haven is, everything changes. You're no longer choosing where to fight. You're reacting. You're moving, you're hiding, you're surviving. Shelter. Shelter isn't a luxury, it's stability. And it leads me to a, to another question, right? What actually makes a haven valuable? Is it expensive walls, armored doors, hidden passages? Or is the most valuable haven simply the one nobody knows exists, and I suspect it's the last one. That's like a given, though. I, we took the I, I always followed that rule and never really voiced it. Never really concerned because most players don't even think of that capacity of shelter being what it is. I'm the king of making it seem like I'm that venture with with with super bags of money, a billionaire changing hands, changing empires. I have four or five different estates, any one of them could be my haven. Meanwhile I have some weird process where I'm stored in a hole nobody would ever suspect me being in. Usually an abandoned building and some sort of industrial complex where it's really hard to even know that this portion of this room exists because I spent decades to cultivate a sweet spot that I created off the grid that now I stay in nightly and nobody follows me there. Right now that seems high paranoia to a lot of people, but we're talking adventure elder who's built this empire. Necessity dictated that. At the same time, I've created this Amise who deliberately had my haven be my estate because by tradition it's mine. And here's where I stay because the children and the the servants I have around me are my security during the day. And if you can get through them and I still don't wake up despite my power and my As as, a void vote in my ties to my fiefdom and the cold do I possess? Well then by right, by Sumisi tradition, you've earned every right to come and kill me because I've been proven too weak to defend. Well, that's not a void vote. A void vote. Once you know exactly where they're at. Come bear the horrors of my estate. And if you can, then you win the prize. Second, Second Inquisition be damned. That invites open to them too, as it has been for for centuries. And that's how that goes. Just depends on the way your vampire is. Redefining Territory: Where Resources Are Created, Not Just Land But nonetheless, shelter is distinctly different from that territory. And here's why. What is territory? You know, I think this is where 5th edition quietly changes that conversation because most of us think about territory geographically, you know, this neighborhood, that district, this borough, the whole city block. But I don't think geography is what makes territory valuable. The resources it gives does. A hospital isn't important because it's a building. It's important because it produces blood. A university produces influence. Police headquarters produces force. A server farm produces information. A financial district produces wealth. Territory is simply wherever resources are created. And once I started thinking about it in that way, and this book did help me see that domain maps suddenly become much more interesting because I stopped asking who owns downtown, which is something I often fell into that trap. And then I would over define it, right? I would find it superfluous. You say the Nosferatu own the underground. What does that mean? What resources does the underground give them? Anonymity, sure. Escape routes around the city, fine, but anybody can have that. A city open air, right? You mean? Think about it, that it seems silly, but when we talk about the unwanted, the outcasts, the people who think they're not hidden but aren't, those who need to hide and need a place to stay, everyone benefits. That creates resources, money, secrets and opportunity. That's the underground they control, and they have a whole network and empire of it. That's the important thing. Or if you, you know, ask who owns downtown and and you started asking instead of saying, instead of asking Ed, you ask who owns the systems that keep downtown functioning, right. That's the better question. And it's it's a very different because if I offered you an entire square mile of abandoned warehouses or ownership of one major hospital, which would you choose again? Me, I'd take the hospital every single time. What are the abandoned warehouses? Give me nothing. That's a giant debt. Yeah, you have all those buildings that you have to upkeep or demolish or whatever it is you're going to do with them, but you still have to turn that into something. And maybe you're an entrepreneur and you needed the abandoned warehouses. That's a different thing. But more importantly, a major hospital. A hospital isn't just blood. I've said that, but vampirically, that's control. That's that's an infrastructure control. That's the latest on moral sciences of how to treat diseases and how to care for your your blood supply. It's how to take care of all of that. Health is a big thing. Physical health is a big thing. Mental health is a big thing. All these things contribute and create people who can go missing, who can contribute to what your needs are, which are always blood and important people, big or small. In fact, nobody is exempt from having to go to a hospital sometimes. And that's the importance of it. It's it's an unlimited resource churner, depending on how I can word it as a person who has a major hospital. And I wish to convey to the storyteller who I'm looking for and why it's a it's the golden goose is what that territory becomes. And it should equate to being just that hard to get. And a lot of players don't think that way. It took me, I'd, I'd say better part of a decade to start thinking that way myself, That once you get comfortable in vampire, you then start thinking what makes the vampire vampire. It's not the disciplines and the fangs alone. It's what they influence and what they control and what they can bring to bear, right? The influence, the influence in the city and thus the sect that they represent. And it doesn't matter if you're anarchist. Sabbat doesn't matter. That's all the same effect. Because these are all the appearance of your power, your largesse, if you will, and the stakes don't change. Those stakes as defined are the essentials that you need to prove you have what you have. And you just going through this, you should start thinking, oh, wait a second. If I really look at my character, I have a lot like I may have just required a position of permagen, but look at the other stuff I control that I didn't think was that important, that really is. And I can now go back and define it and see what it works for me. What resources does it give me to contribute, to make things happen? Controlling the Stakes: Becoming the Indispensable Vampire And so if we bring it together, you know, after reading this section, I would, I kept coming back to to 1 conclusion. Politics isn't really about becoming Prince. That's just one way of solving the problem. Politics is about becoming the vampire everyone else depends upon. And I don't have to be the Prince or any title to be that. The one who controls blood or force secret shelter or territory. They're the important ones. And if I hold all of those, then I best be the Prince or the elder that puppets the Prince or the primogen counsel divided or divided those assets. And the reason is rather simple, because once enough people depend on you, title becomes almost unnecessary. And I think that's one of the smartest idea in courts of the damned. You know, before he ever teaches us about Prince's primogen Herald Sheriffs, none of that. It teaches us something much more important. Every political struggle begins with scarcity. Somebody wants a resource. Somebody else controls that resource. Everything else, Boon Alliance betrayals, Elysium scandal, A blood hunt flows from that single truth. And now that we know what vampires are fighting over, the next question becomes who decides where those resources go? Because that's where governments begin and that's where we're heading to next. Who Decides: Exploring Different Vampire Government Frameworks You know, I if everyone wants the same resource, who gets to decide? That's the thought I want in your head as we go over the political frameworks here. Because now that we understand the stakes, we understand that everyone is competing for the same handful of resources. And I think that naturally leads us to that question, who decides that? Because every government through throughout history has really been trying to answer that one question. Who decides where resources go? You know who gets to feed, who gets protected, punished, promoted, exiled, who gets heard? And you strip away the crowns, the flags, the politics. That's what government is. It's a system for deciding who gets what. It's that simple. And what I really appreciate about Courts of the Damned is that it doesn't tell us there's only one answer. Instead, it stands us on our head. It presents several political frameworks that you can pick if you can't think of them. And I don't think these are simply governments, by the way. I think they're philosophies, you know, they're, they're different ways of answering the exact same political problem, you know? And that problem is how do you organize immortal predators without the whole thing falling apart? And let's start with the the more traditional one, the one every vampire player already knows, and that's the monarchy. The Monarchy Framework: Strengths and Weaknesses of One Ruler We've been playing in monarchy for like 30 years, right? 1 Prince, one recognized authority, final voice. Simple sufficient. Everybody knows who settles disputes, everybody knows who grants domains, everybody knows who can declare a blood hunt, etcetera. And there's value in that. You don't spend weeks wondering who's in charge. You know, decisions get made. Everybody plays out of the same rule book, and justice, whether it's fair or not, moves quickly. And I think that's why the Camarilla has leaned on this model for so long. You know, immortal creatures don't like uncertainty, and a clear hierarchy reduces uncertainty. But there's a trade off. Everything depends on one individual. If your Prince is wise, your city will probably prosperous. But if your Prince is paranoid, the whole city feels paranoid. If they're weak, every ambitious kindred begins asking the same question. When do we replace that Prince? Why don't I become the Prince? And that's the weakness of monarchy. It scales beautifully until it doesn't. So here's the question I'd say that you need to ask. Would you rather have an exceptional prints or average institutions that continue functioning even after that prints is gone? Because history suggests those two things are not the same. The Firm Framework: Corporate Power and Earned Influence But if we move to what I think is the most modern framework in the book that it goes over, I'd say the firm. The firm is a I love this concept because instead of presenting power as inherited, it presents power as earned, or at least appearing to be earned. And and the language changes. Nobody talks about noble blood. They talk about performance. You know, it comes down to networking, promotion, efficiency, results. Sound familiar? And it absolutely should because most of us work somewhere that says exactly those things. Work hard, produce value, you'll move up. But here's the uncomfortable question of it Is that actually how it works? Or does somebody at the top still decide who gets promoted? And that's what makes the firm so fascinating. It tells everyone the ladder is open, but somebody still built the ladder, somebody still owns that company, and somebody will still decide who gets invited to the boardroom. So is the firm truly different than a monarchy? Is is it different than a monarchy? And that's a question I had. And I love that that question could be answered any which way you choose and that both would be valid, you know, But you can also simply say, is the crown become a tailored business suit, meaning the monarchy graduated to becoming a firm in appearance because the modern times do that. And that's a that's a pretty interesting thing. It's like the government masquerading, right? The monarchy is now masquerading as a tailored boardroom. And I don't think there's a right answer to that. You know, I don't think you need to really. You need to define it as a storyteller and the players can discover that. But ultimately both, all of that's valid any way you want to slice that. The Collegium Framework: Shared Beliefs and the Danger of Heresy You know, I can imagine entire venture chronicle built around that framework. You know, no castles, no Thrones, no board, just, excuse me, just board meetings. And if you think about hostile takeovers, corporate mergers, how portfolios, investment portfolios get developed and then my God, influence alone, you know, becomes market shares instead of territory, right? We discussed that instead. You can see ticker tax and people buying and selling it becomes it. Well, it feels like a very modern form of vampire and you could see it. But we transition to the collegium and this one asks a question of the other frameworks ask can ideas govern better than rulers? Think about that a second. Every society has something holding it together, whether it's fear, money, tradition, family. The collegium says none of those matter as much as shared belief. Now, whether that's religion or philosophy, scholarship, magic, or some higher purpose, the idea itself becomes the foundation of the government. I think this framework is fascinating because it doesn't rely on one powerful ruler, it relies on everyone believing the same thing. Here's where it gets interesting. What happens when somebody stops believing, right? And, you know, stops believing in the collegium itself, right? The what? What makes it the collegium? Because you see, in a monarchy, that's a disagreement. But in the collegium, that might become heresy. You know, suddenly disagreement isn't simply political, it's existential. And because you've challenged the very idea holding society together, that's a dangerous place to be. I immediately think of a collegium being something the Banu Hakeem have, right? What are the Ashira if they don't have a collegium, you know? But what happens when someone starts saying, you know, God isn't real? We've been here for centuries. I was here since the beginning. There was all this faith, but it was only ever us. It was the power of the collegium. And I realized it when I went into the room that used to feel forbidden. And after I listened to a couple atheist talk and thought about certain things, you know, how could a God so cruel create the universe the way it is, right? The famous adage, you know, there's a bacterium. Excuse me, there's a bug that sole existence is the plant itself in the eyes of children and eat them from the inside out. That's the sole purpose. And what cruel God would create a bug such as that, right? That's a that's a paraphrase quote that bastardized and caught off of a famous atheist. I forget his name is a British atheist, but he challenged that very statement did very passionately and it stuck with me. And I'd like to think that this Bano Hakeem, or even if that person became a Bano Hakeem and they're here and they challenge all these old heads and said you, you claim God's here, but everything you've done, everything you we've been about has been a group of people who've agreed to a faith. But in this room used to be back in the day, very scary room to go into. And this used to be the room of God. The voice of God could be heard in here. You couldn't get 30 feet near it without bursting in the flame for some reason. And then something weird happened. The beckoning happened and one person left. And the other day I caught somebody opening up the door. And inside they keep all this old stuff. I don't know if you know this. Our ghouls for I don't know how long, have been using it as storage because nobody told them different and we were too afraid to go in there. So there's all sorts of things in there for the ghouls that they like and enjoy that we didn't think they would have. And we found them. And I laughed. I could get mad at them, but really I laughed. That person's a heretic. He's he's literally going to destabilize everything the assure believe in if you let that guy go, and most likely he's going to be done away with. Easier to do away with them and make adjustments that safeguard against this than not. And that's a just a joking, well, not a joke, an attempt to to showcase how that can be very much realized and that type of political structure, the danger of it, you know, basically we keep secrets in a collegium to defend the whole. And that makes a very, a very interesting way of, of running a government. The Family Framework: Relationships, Loyalty, and Corruption However, the family's another one. Now, the family framework might be the easiest framework for all of us to understand because whether we realize it or not, we've all lived inside one. Family says relationships matter more than rules. You don't ask why does the law say anything? You ask, why would my family? You know, what would my family expect me to do? Loyalty becomes more important than competence. Trust becomes more important than qualifications. Connections become more important than institutions. And there's an incredible strength to that. You know, a family creates belonging, creates sacrifice and loyalty that laws could never force. But it also creates something else, exclusion. If you're inside the family, you're protected. If you're outside, good luck, right? You're going to have to earn your way in big time. But the question here becomes at what point does loyalty become corruption? If the Prince appoints their chill because they trust them, is that loyalty or nepotism? And the answer probably depends on whether you're part of the family. And another way, look at actual family organizations. Crime organizations have a family structure. Almost all of them do. You may think their titles make them something, but it's family, you know? I mean, I'd say it's a mix between family and firm, with more family than firm, by the way, because usually it's a very powerful family that organizes all the other families in there. Like if you think La Cosa Nostra, even cartels, that's how they form. And they're going to give preference to their relatives, of course, but they're going to make sure their relatives can light a candle to what they got going on. And they make it very hard for everybody else to prove to themselves. And how do those other organizations prove in the family they earn, Always earn, Keep guard, shut your mouth. You know, all rent gets paid up to Caesar. And if Caesar's very happy, you're going to do very well and be considered very happy. And like every family, if the matriarch or patriarch or whoever is very happy, you know, all ships rise. My managers need to get paid. Their guys need to get paid. Trickle down happens, happens in every single one, but never as much as the king or the queen in that matter. And that's the important part. But what does it say about you, the outsider who brought that wealth and brought those assets and brought that advantage to the family? And they only give you a pittance. It's like in the mafia, the LA Cosa Nostra, you're, you're a friend of ours only after you were, you're a friend of an individual's, right? So if I, if I bring you into the family and say this is a good guy, I'm speaking for you. But you're only allowed to hang out with us because he's a friend of Bob's. But eventually you hang around enough, you prove yourself enough. You, you prove right. That's the hard part. But when you do now you become a friend of ours. But things matter. You're not Italian, or even if you're Italian, you're not Sicilian. You're never going to get in the books, right? That becomes a thing. And you're never going to do be anything but a soldier. Or maybe if you're lucky, you get to run a crew and that's how it goes. But forget about being, you know, the Godfather. That's never going to happen because you're not blood family or something like that. And that's what this is saying, the structure there is a danger of, you know, where does it end? The Prince needs a chill. He's going to create a chill for every position. Or the Permigint family, is it all one clan? The easiest is if you think of the before the Hikata was the Giovanni and they had a clear structure. You could see in their anziani and how they rule that they're a family ranch structure and they have all kinds of problems and advantages because of it, and they're forever seen as outsiders. And that's what this warns of. But this doesn't say that's not a fun structure. That's a very fun structure to run. And if you can imagine a city where the Prince is the head and it's treated just like that, you know it's just somebody you pay whatever to. But really the Seneschal is running everything. Could even be the Herald. And then the Primogen become de facto earners right there. They each have their own crew or own territory in the city they run, and you can even see it like that. And that's who you really got to prove yourself to because the Prince is nobody, the the guy on top is nobody because you only need him to come in and wave the sword around. You know, you only need the Pope when we can't make a decision in house. You know what I'm saying? Then we need the Pope to come in and make a decision for everyone because we can't make one. That's about the only time as a tiebreaker. And so who really has the power then? You know, you could say, of course, the Pope, but we use them as a piece when in reality, we're the ones who do the day-to-day. It's kind of the family structure. The Caligula Framework: Unpredictability and the Rule of Fear However, we have a final one and one I really hesitated to get into until the last because I don't want to. I think everyone's going to like this one. I like that they have an imprint and it's called the Caligula. I'll admit, this one genuinely unsettled me because it isn't a dictatorship, It's unpredictability. You know, Imagine living in a city where the rules change every night. 1 evening you're rewarded, the next you're punished. Not because your actions changed, but because the ruler's mood changed. How do you plan something or build alliances? Do do trust anybody when nobody knows what tomorrow's rules will be? You know, fear becomes the government, and fear absolutely works for a while. For a long while, because people obey and people can become quiet. Nobody takes risks. But eventually people stop fearing the consequences of rebellion because the consequences of obedience have become just as random. And history is filled with governments like that. You know, they often appear incredibly powerful right up until the night that collapse. There's some arguments here when you think of Caligula. There was the Caligula. He was great until he wasn't, and he was great until he really went insane and started doing the things that you shouldn't do, crossing morals, taboos, boundaries, made a horse, a senator, etcetera, etcetera. And I'm not going to get into what Caligula did, but you can look it up. And that he had to go. He had to go even by modern standards, he had to go. And say what you want about people like Trump and Netanyahu and all those other people, none of them are Caligula. And I would say it's because nobody has that power, because there would be people long before you get to be Caligula, have an idea of what to do with you. And so we had to think in Vampire, if you're a Caligula, what does that look like? Well I want to think of a couple here. I wonder why the Prince of London, he Mithras never got done away with. You would think he would be Caligula and I would. And I here I argue plot armor. I think there's several times somebody like Mithras should have been done in. Should have been long before it gets to a random Rastafarian anti tribute Assamite who sees he's laying there after a bombing. He should have got done in and for no other reason then Mithras. And his Mithraic cult was very much random. You succeeded or failed based on his circumstances. They write them differently, but that's exactly how I see that guy. To a lesser degree. There are some better examples. If you look at the AH the easy one is DC Prince Vittel right? Who wasn't Vittel, you know, it was Alsa Janis, the Lasombre Methuselah. And how V5 positions Tally the Hound to be serving that Methuselah. And how that Methuselah is trying to create a Caligula. He no longer hides in secret. He will create a new sect based on himself. But it's a Caligula. You'll never know what that guy wants until it's too late. And you may never even have a say in the matter. In fact, I can guarantee you won't. You may wake up one day believing it's your own idea when it's his will enforced upon you. And what could you do about it? And that's, that's a Caligula. Is it fun? Yes. I think all these things have ideas of what players are looking for. To me, the majority of players won't affirm that's a game that every player can chop up a piece of the city, Every player can get a piece of the pie. Everybody sees that, you know, there's not a Prince. I can strive for my own and get that, and then I'm a player amongst all the rest. A lot of arguments, a lot of drama, a lot of action, a lot of politicking, and that's a lot of fun for a Camarilla game. I don't think that would be fun for an Anarch game so much. I think that'd be an excuse for a lot of fighting. It'd really be like a veiled sabak game, out of control, in my opinion. And it depends on how you roll it out. But ultimately the Anarchs don't have anything after the Anarchs. Let me let me rephrase that. If you have Anarchs who control a part of the stakes, 1 stake apiece, right? Let's say it's five of them and these five gangs, haven't they started looking at somebody else's? They got to take each other apart or compete with each other to get those stakes. But what happens when you realize your alleged Anarch gang buddies were picking apart your hold? They were trying to get a piece of what you do. Well, those are your rivals, aren't they? What do you do with rivals? In the Camarillo, we have this glorious prestation game where status rise and fall and we have this buffer. We have this sub game we can play where I can. Everyone has value and everybody earns value and there's accreditation system that goes with it. And so I can smear you and you could have your territory and have your stakes, but I can make you look poorly in the eyes of everybody else to slow you down. Or you would. I can force you to give up some of your your hold on those stakes to disperse them to me peaceably. Well, peaceably meaning you and I aren't in the streets killing each other with Fang and claw and ruining the masquerade. But when I think of Anarchs, they don't have that. The Anarchs have, hey, you and I got to talk, let's go have a sit down. And at that sit down, you bring your biker gangs because I assuredly brought mine and we're going to have at it. That's how I think of Anarchs. It's like that's the point of Anarchs. They don't have a fancy filled governmental system in place like the ivory tower that already took those rules and consideration in it. And Anarchs domain depends on how they're ran. And even as a firm, and you can say that's their framework, that firm most likely doesn't have a debate system in place because it's all about what do you have and what do you control and why do we give a damn? Then you have it. And usually force is going to be a strong determining factor in that, just like the Caligula. The Caligula only has force. The only way you have fear is if you have absolute force to enforce everything you want to do. And the people they're believing and your, your domain has to be so good. Your territory, your city has to be such a strong pull to bring people in that they're willing to accept the yoke to live under that fear. That's the way it works. You know, if you think of Rome, that's what it was like for all the other barbaric tribes or those we call them barbaric. But the tribes who weren't a part of Rome, that's what they faced. Join Rome and become Roman and give us all your resources and all your stakes and everything you have and you have a shot. Oppose us, fall forever, Veyvictus. Woe to the conquered. That's through fear. That's a Caligula establishment in my opinion, and we saw how that worked out for him. Worked for a very long time until it didn't. Then it all came down as everybody got their peace. So all of this is fun. Choosing Your Society: Frameworks as Promises to Players Every bit of this is fun. I don't disagree with any single structure in here and being a good time. I just want to put those seeds in your head. Don't take it as one's better than the other. Don't don't get in those debates. I don't think 1 is better than the other because after reading these frameworks, I realized something. None of them are asking different questions. Every one of them is trying to answer exactly the same problem. They're trying to answer it. Who controls the blood force, Secret shelter, All the stakes and and the answers change. The questions never do. And I think that's why this section of the book is so valuable for storytellers. It encourages us to stop asking what kind of prints do I want and instead ask, what kind of society am I building? Because once you've answered that question, the prints, because it's much easier to write. The Sheriff, Herald politics all become such a breeze to write because you know exactly where they're coming from, and everything starts flowing from the framework instead of being bolted onto it afterward. And that's probably my biggest take away from this chapter. The political frameworks aren't just different governments, they're different promises to your players. Your players are the focus, and they're telling the table what kind of vampire story they're about to experience, and that's incredibly powerful. Before the first session even begins, you bring that to your players, they start thinking of what they want to have in be in game. Camarilla Traditions: How Governments Endure for Centuries And so now we've talked about what vampires are fighting over. We've talked about the different kinds of governments they build, but now we get to the question every government eventually has to answer. How do you keep it from falling apart? Because that's really the hard part. Building a government isn't difficult. History is full of people who build governments. But keeping one alive for centuries, that that's a rare thing. And keeping one alive for 1000 years? Unheard of. Yet that's exactly what the Camarilla claims to have done. So how did they do it? The answer to the book gives is wonderfully simple. Tradition. Not ideology, religion, nationalism, not even loyalty, just tradition. You know, the authors make a point. I don't think it's enough attention, and that's that the camera will exist to protect kindred interests. You know, keeping the beast in check, shielding kindred society from its enemies, and ensuring vampires can continue to feed. Everything else, including its culture, is built to support those goals. Unlike the Sabbats, right? They have a shared identity or, or the Ashira's shared faith. Camarilla domains are held together by tradition. Period. Masquerade Interpretation: Secrecy, Scale, and Adapting to Change And that's a fascinating statement because it change how it changes how I look at the six traditions. You know, I think too many of us, including storytellers, treat them like commandments. They're not. They're infrastructure. They're the beams holding up the building. If you remove enough of them, the ivory tower doesn't become less moral, it collapses. And once I started looking at it that way, the six traditions suddenly became much more interesting. Because if you look at the Masquerade right, it's the obvious 1. I don't think the Masquerade is about secrecy. I I think it's about scale. 1 Vampire can dominate a neighborhood, maybe even a city, you know, humanity dominates the planet. The Camarilla doesn't hide because vampires are weak, it hides because even immortal predators lose wars of attrition against billions of people. You know, that's something the Second Inquisition of V5 reminded every Kindred. Technology changed, Surveillance changed, data collection changed. The Masquerade didn't suddenly become obsolete, it became harder to maintain. I appreciate. I really do appreciate. I want something else the book points out. Right? Is is that. But not every city enforces the Masquerade the same way. Some courts punish every technical violation. Others only care if a breach has real consequences. Some even protect favored kindred who repeatedly create problems, assigning others to clean up after them. Right, That's their motif. We create a problem, now you can assign someone to deal with it. And if you think about that for a second, the tradition stays the same. It's interpretation changes. That feels incredibly realistic. Human laws work exactly the same way, don't they? The words in the page don't always change, the people enforcing them do. And so if one Prince executes every vampire risk the Masquerade, and another simply says clean up your mess, which Prince actually protects the Masquerade better? And that's a wonderful storyteller question. But that all depends on the type of Prince, doesn't it? But the law, the tradition, doesn't change, right? Just the interpretation. And the next you have Domain. The Domain Tradition: Authority Over Territory Prevents Conflict And honestly, I think Domain might be the most underrated tradition in Vampire because on the surface, it sounds like property law. This is my territory. Respect it. Yeah, it's simple. Except that's not really what it's doing. Domain exists to answer a dangerous question. Who gets to say no? Right. Who gets to say you can't hunt here or establish a haven? Don't influence these mortals? Hey, you can't recruit those ghouls, can you Expand your power base here? And without domain, every vampire would answer those questions for themselves. Now imagine 6 ambitious ancilla all deciding they're entitled to the same hunting ground. How long before somebody reaches for a sword? Perhaps they don't need it, they got claws. Maybe they have a bunch of ghouls with shotguns and army. So domain isn't protecting real estate, it's preventing civil war. So the moment everyone recognizes someone has the authority to assign territory, they stop having to solve every disagreement through violence. And that's a very important thing because that may be the single greatest service a Prince provides. Progeny Tradition: Embracing New Vampires and Political Shifts Now talking about progeny, the tradition of progeny, it's usually explained as population control. And I've talked at length about it very much can be used for that. And, and it's still true. That's true, but I think it's actually something more political. Every new vampire changes the balance of power. Think about that. When you embrace someone, you're not just creating a chilled, you're creating another vote, soldier, advisor, and potential rival future prints, right? Every embrace changes the political landscape. So when the Prince says you may not sire without permission, what they're really saying is you may not create political power without my approval. That sounds a lot different than simply regulating population. Now this rolls to accounting and it has always been. I like I like the accounting a lot. And that's because it's beautifully practical. You're responsible for your chilled. Why? Because somebody has to be. Every government eventually asked the same question. Who pays when something goes wrong? Accounting answers that immediately says the sire, no investigation needed, no committee, no appeals. You made them. Your child destroyed the masquerade. That's your failure. Your child murders another kindred. That's your problem. Your children embarrasses the court. Congratulations, you're explaining it. That's accountability in the purest sense. And the Camarillo isn't saying raise them well, it's saying if you don't, you're we're holding you responsible. That's efficiency. The Accounting Tradition: Sire Responsibility and Efficient Justice Cool thing is, we also know accounting isn't necessarily just the children. It may be a powerful elder that we know is shrewd and a hard ass creates an alternative to your destruction. We see you having value, but you need to learn respect. You like to resolve everything by burning it down or fighting it or ripping it apart. Mr. Joe Picubura, fantastic. Let me introduce you to a gang girl who does believe in might makes right. You can go talk to them about which one of you are stronger. We know the answer. They've been around 4 centuries more than you, but go ahead and deal with them. What they're going to do, because they owe a boon to the Prince, is they're going to take accountability over you, and they're going to watch you like a hawk, maybe even literally. And every time you mess up, you get the answer to them, and they will determine whether you live or die. Please do. Well, we just want to see that you can respect the laws and traditions of the domain 'cause we're tired of cleaning up your mess. This is an honor of the fact that you come from a very respected primogen who clearly couldn't handle you. And that's why we had them staked as a punishment for embracing you. Here's your replacement, sire. Good luck. Can be done with ghouls, can be done with anybody. You know, a Prince. Once you agree to being Camarilla and then, you know, uphold the laws of that Prince, they're free to interpret these traditions and punish accordingly. And that's a very creative way to do it. Hospitality Tradition: Managing Visitors and Maintaining City Order Now, when you roll down the hospitality, again, most players think this is pure etiquette. I don't at all. I think it's immigration. Imagine a vampire walks into your city. Well, who the hell are they? Why are they here? And who invited them? Don't you wonder what they want? And if nobody asks those questions, your enemies don't have to sneak in. They simply arrive. And hospitality isn't about being polite to visitors. It's about making sure the court knows they're there. It turns strangers into known quantities, and that turns them in a resource net. That turns them into advantages or opposition. And we get to see who they are. And that protects everyone. Or at well, at least it protects the people already in power. What are the other advantages of that? If I respect hospitality and I go to a Prince, it's expected the Prince is going to tell me where the acceptable feeding areas are in the city. That I get that. Naturally, the Prince may not say it directly, but most likely I'll hear it from the sheriff, or I'll know who the Herald is, or I'll be directed to a Permagen or a position we'll talk to about here soon, referred to as a shadow. Someone's going to help me get the lay of the land and how it works. And that's, that's what I get with hospitality. I see the Prince. They tell me my advantages, they tell me what my dues are. They tell me where I can be and not be. And that's everything you need. And that keeps it orderly. That's also how we don't have chaos. This also prevents you from getting scourge bait or whatever the situation might be. Some games get creative. You know, I always enjoyed the game where you had to come in with an acknowledgement letter, write that your sire wrote a letter like a recommendation for the Prince, and the prince's assume gets it already, and they arrange a night for you to show up and that's your first Elysium. It makes it short and sweet. But we're honoring hospitality and we're letting the whole city, because the whole cities invite the hospitality. And if they're smart, they show up and they're there to see what the new opposition is or new allies, depending on what they come in and what they're about. And it's a good time. That's why I like it, because it all makes sense and ties the traditions together. The Destruction Tradition: Ending Vengeance Spirals and Control But destruction? This one's contested, right? A lot of people have a lot to say about destruction, but as one of the final traditions, the final tradition we're talking about, it's only recognized authority can decide final death is what it basically is. And if you think about it, that rule exists for exactly the same reason the modern world doesn't allow private citizens to hand out death sentences, and that's because vengeance spirals. It's as simple as that. Revenge creates more revenge, right? If you're going to seek revenge, dig 2 graves. That whole thing. But eventually nobody remembers who started it. In particular amongst immortals. You know the Camarilla monopolizes final death because it monopolizes justice. Whether that justice is fair, it's an entirely different conversation now. The point of destruction is to stop these never ending wars that elders tend to get into. In particularly, I'm talking to the Zemis, right? They have a tradition of warming with each other to prove who the best is. And those who sit on top is the Voyvode amongst the Voyvodes and blah blah blah. And they had all that in in clan and they just like to see it applied to all the other clans because they get what truly being a vampire is. And I agree with them. I, as Bob, agree with them from a horror standpoint, from what a vampire is all about. They're the least human, most of them Pyrrhic, and they're royalty in my opinion. They have every right to be exactly as that above the LA Sombre even because Le Sabre can't handle how inhuman they are. Does a Meese embrace it? They change their form to be it and they are are all about it. From dominion of mortals to dominion among animals to dominion of themselves, to being the beast they say they are, to forgetting about the human they are. It's so good. But they one of the longest standing grudges against against clans and and eventually you got to ask yourself a question. Where does it stop? For instance, do shift gears and not make it all about the Zamise here? Theo Bell kills harder stat. OK, doesn't that end any gripe or issue that Patricia Bolingbrook had right? They're they're dead. He's they're now finally dead. All your harder stats are gone. Why would you still have an axe to grind? Does that still mean the Bruja have to rebel against the Camarilla for all the shit they said and started? Does that mean the Bruja default back to their organized ways of being book learned warriors and decide to do all that where they bring back they had an A Gogi themselves runner and go or however you pronounce it, like the the Ventura spouse. But you know, they weren't the first ones to think of it. And I remember Carthage and the brew how we're all about that. And does that tell them to call the rebellion and go back to where you were? Is that why they were thrown? The Brewer were thrown out. It had nothing to do with the fact that Theo Bell, sure, he killed Hardestad. That's the catalyst. But at the end of the day, the Brewer were becoming something else. And the modern Knights, you know, remembering who they were, that's garnering power that can overthrow the traditions of a sect that stands on tradition, that that's how it holds itself. And they were opposing those ideals perhaps a little too strongly. Could it be that the destruction made it to where we want to keep it in the hands of the Camarillo authorities like it should be? So we control who lives and who dies so we can uphold that type of justice in our name and power stays in our hands. Or the Brew Harbor saying, why do you get to make that distinction? Every city is different. Every situation is different, and it's somebody's life. Do they not get to choose? Well what if they bring up it was about a long held grudge. Now to the Bruja, they're going to bring forth that grudge, you know, think about Carthage. And they still have an axe to grind. Some of them. They can hold a grudge. So that means Camarilla said screw that. If you're part of this organization, abandoned your grudges at the door. We govern to the traditions and we govern to the individual and that should be enough for you. I'm not saying who's right and wrong, but I'm saying a lot of that could be the reason you have more story content and plot hooks that make the destruction that much more interesting. Not only that, add to the fact that the sire getting to destroy somebody. Not really. The sire may be called upon to destroy a child by the authorities who get to determine who lives and who dies. It's very different. But what if you're a sire who killed your child already because they humiliated you for the last time? Do the laws not protect you by saying you brought them into this world? You have a right to reclaim their blood. And I argue, yes they do, but a bastard of a Prince may rule. Well, destruction's mine. You took it. The traditions protect you under accountability. OK, I suppose we can work something out. But you will owe me. Or it's your life and I won't hear anything of it. And then you're smart to play ball because you already told you it's this or you die. And can they kill you? Don't know. Depends on how that's set up. But the point is, plot thickens when that happens. It doesn't, you know, adds more spice, doesn't take flavor away. But what's the real purpose of the tradition? Camarilla's Core: Traditions Make Vampires Predictable for Survival So after going through all of them, you know, I realized something. Not one of these traditions is trying to make vampires good. Not one. They're trying to make vampires predictable. I let that pause for a moment. I wanted that to land, you know, because there's a, there's a big difference in that. Good people don't need laws. Predictable people need stable societies. And stability is what the Camarilla sells. The promise isn't freedom. The promise isn't equality. The promise is survival. Follow these rules. We all get to wake up tomorrow night. That's the deal, right? We take it away from what it used to be in the past. We take it away from Sire versus Chilled, Chilled rebellions and revolts. Sabbat being formed over the next sect that's going to come along to decide everything must go over to burn everything down. Gone are the days you could be a Prince in Beverly Hills. Live your life in your own little area with all the rich people and all the beautiful people and consider that yours and nobody can come and destroy because you're the most powerful, because power changes. The stakes are different, the populace is different, the technology is different, and elder is contested by a smart, chilled up and coming who knows how to work all the advantages and assets now to destabilize what you have to then come for you. So we have to change everything. And the Camarillo represents that stability accordingly. However, I'd be remiss not to represent the subat and say bullshit. I'm going to, I'm going to tell you this. If you wrote a political book about the Sabati, but read something like this stuff it, I don't care what you think. Elders must go. We kill them all and we're a death cult. And that's basically what they are in V5. You can't negotiate with those villains. You know how they're going to be. Their interest is how to portray that. And that's a very different thing. And they have their own book to do that. But when you look at that book, don't try to make them the Camarilla because that's where you fail. You need to make them with like, like the the Subat have a very real problem with the Second Inquisition. They're the focus of the second Inquisition because to the second Inquisition, that's who's the obvious, that's who the problem is. And somehow the second Inquisition could take out Vienna, they could launch other strikes and some other known infamous things, but they just can't handle the Subat. And the reason being, how do you handle a death cult? They're not afraid of you. They're not afraid of your day rates. They're not afraid of what you have going on. Sure, you might kill them, but there is always more. You might become that more. In fact, I guarantee you the Sabbat would make you them. So you might still want to kill, but as a new vampire. Good luck. And when we tell your allies who you are, you at least served a stall. Oh wait, plot thickens. The Second Inquisition says we're going to take in a vampire that used to be us because he could teach us what he has. But are they really going to do that? No, they're not going to make you a hero. You become the experiment and you know that's how they're going to use you because it's the World of Darkness. That's how it goes. There are no happy endings in that regard. And I love them every minute for it. Why throw that in there? Because I'm going to wash my mouth of the Camarilla is amazing and look at the government structures because there is a different one and it's still very much here and play that if you choose. But I'm going to get back to the Courts of the Damned here. I mean, also, we haven't gone over the autark section, which does get into that a bit a bit more, but we're going to do that with the guys later on in Part 2 of this podcast. Beyond Laws: Prestation, Customs, and City Culture However, what I really appreciate, the one thing I really appreciate, the courts of the dam doesn't stop at the six traditions. It reminds us that every camera list city develops customs beyond themselves. You know, the biggest example is prestation, which is the economy of boons and favors. Now you've heard me produce this a couple times, but I'm going to do this again. I hope I could be succinct here, you know, and in prestation, your word becomes currency and and breaking it cost you credibility. You know, the book points out that cities often recognize different levels of boons from trivial to life Boons, though. Disagreements over what favor is worth of what? Excuse me? The disagreements over what a favor is worth are. That's part of the politics themselves. And I love that because it reminds us that culture isn't only written in laws. Culture is expectation. You know, the unwritten rules everyone somehow knows. And then they don't interrupt the Prince, They don't insult the keeper of Elysium. If you know you don't honor your bones, don't embarrass your clan in public. None of these have to be one of the six traditions. They simply are the habits that grow up around them, around those traditions. That's what makes 1 Camerollo City feel different from another. Not because the traditions changed, but because the culture did. And this gets lost on so many people. You will hear that in our game, which they might as well say in our city that we ran, this was the customs. That's OK, and it's OK for you to find out in the current city you're playing in or to ask about them to see what that is. But I bet prestation doesn't change, right? That prestation is always going to be there and there's a way to play Prestation. I go on at winbag length about Prestation multiple times because I ran into a situation here where a lot of a lot of people who play games view what's written in a book as the mechanics, all of its mechanics. They don't see fluff from the trees, right? They don't see fluff from the dots. It's if the dots mean this and the powers mean that, that means there could be no inference, interpretation, or application of, well, creativity. They couldn't be further from the truth. And that's a sad thing that happens. But sometimes you got to remind them and you got to tell them, hey, it works like this. This is what they're meaning. This is what they're inferring. And boy, do people get up in arms about that. But the only reason, and I'll, I'll arm you with this. The only reason people get upset about prestation being different or being the way it is, is because currently in a game they're playing, they have advantage of the way things are. It's in their favor. The moment they hear that it could be different if somebody else could have just as much pull or has pull, they didn't realize and that they could just listen to a podcast and get that. Oh, suddenly that person sitting pretty now has to work. They now have to work to keep their prestation and, and work within the traditions that you do. And now the competition just got even even playing field, no longer a dictatorship. That's when they get mad. That's when out of game they usually buck. And I welcome it. I welcome that chaos because really, I'm helping them have a better game. Competition is a myth in the World of Darkness, of Vampire. They have never changed. And that's V5. No matter what edition, remember this, in V5, you're always playing against your humanity. Any version of Vampire the Beast is your greatest enemy. If you think about all of this, they are layers of distraction as you try to carry out the centuries of your existence. That's not to depress you that there's no point to vampires to say that you're playing through the interest of the encounters of the vampire game. That's what you're playing for. You're playing for the story. There's no end goal, right? There's no obtainment. You're done. There's no level. You're not level 1 and you're going to get level 20 and it's time to retire the character. That's not what it is. You made the character to tell a story. Here's the backdrop and all the tools and distractions and things that can be fun and will be fun if your character plays the political regime and gets into it. And Courts of the Dam gives you what that player might need, which is a little more structure, a bigger way to look at it, and a more tactful way to make it digestible and easy to swallow. And thus to me, it's well written for that. What I'm not getting into is all the, the, the chapters, tips and tricks because one, I've said this already, but they do it in a more succinct way that goes with the book. So after you listen to this and you pick up this book, which I recommend everybody run out and do or go online right after this and do it. When you read the book at your pace, things are so simple to understand. That's the one thing I like about it. You know, they give a pro and a con usually in particular when it comes down to the traditions and different hooks in ways they could be used and you know, pitfalls of them. I do like the fact that they they even give old school reference to here are some vampires in print like some famous one. Sigurius is in the book in stat stated form, which is hysterical to me. Victoria Ash is there. That's cool. And some you haven't heard of, all very Camarilla characters given to wet that whistle. And no doubt there'll be others in other sections, but they do. I have them here in order in my terms of how they roll it out. This makes a very enjoyable book to go through, to think about the game you're in or the game you're about to run. And that's the enjoyable part. Who Enforces: Offices as Responsibilities, Not Just Titles So if you can't tell, yes, I'm winding it down. And here's the thought I'm going to leave you with before we move into the offices of the court here, which is the last portion, remember, the traditions don't tell us who has power. We've already talked about that. They tell us how power survives. The states explain what everyone wants, right? The necessities of what everyone wants. The political framework explains who decides what, and the tradition. The traditions explain the rules that keep everyone from tearing the entire system apart. Which means the final question is almost inevitable. Who's responsible for enforcing all this? Because rules don't enforce themselves, right? Governments don't run themselves. Somebody has to wake up every night and make sure the ivory tower is still standing. And and those are the titles of the tower that they have in the book. Excuse me. And we spent this entire episode talking about systems, but now let's get to this portion, the offices, right? And I want to make one thing clear before we begin. I don't think titles of the tower is actually about titles. I think it's about responsibility. Note that that one sense in this chapter really stood out to me because of this. It says that every Kindred is a risk to the society they're part of, and that risk is only tolerated because they contribute. The court exists to organize those contributions, making it clear who was responsible for what within the city. Think on that. Every vampire is dangerous. Every vampire is selfish, every vampire has that beast. So why would you tolerate another immortal predator? And the answer is because they're useful. That's the social contract of the Camarilla. Your place at court isn't earned because you're old. It isn't earned because you're from Clan Venture. It isn't even earned because you're powerful. You keep your place because you're solving a problem the city needs solved. Once I started looking at the offices that way, the whole court made much more sense the way they updated it. The Prince's Role: Delegating Authority and Making Final Decisions So I want to start with the obvious one, the Prince. Most people think the Prince is the ruler, but when we think in terms of responsibility, I think the Prince is something more specific. They're the final decision maker. Notice that the book lists as the Prince's responsibilities. Here. They interpret the traditions, assign hunting grounds, holding court, resolving disputes, protecting the city's kindred, approving progeny, you know, keeping informed about the wider Camarilla. None of those jobs say do everything. In fact, they suggest the opposite. The Prince exists because eventually someone has to say, this is the decision. Politics can debate forever. Eventually somebody has to stop debating, and that's the prince's whole role. The one thing I like about that is that the book reminds us a successful Prince doesn't rule alone. They rule through collaborators, delegating authority throughout the court. And that's important. If your Prince is doing everyone's job, they're probably a bad Prince. If your Prince is surrounded by capable people, though, that's how you know the successful one. That's how you can pick you. You can be an asset to that print and show you can do a better job or add to someone's job. That's how titles get subtitles, right? We think of Primogen, but you there's a whip or there was a whip or whatever you want to call it, and you can still have a whip or a version of it, depending on the culture of the city you're in. Camarillo wants. So if the Primogen is de facto the best version, right? That's supposed to be the best. Like typically an elder of a clan, but really a primogen could be any clan, it could be multiple, the same clan, so long as they hold down one of the stakes in the city that the Prince needs watched after they got a territory or a domain or whatever. But they don't just do that because they're expected to look into matters of their clan or to a particular group of people in the city or substructure or substrata of the city. And that's where a whip comes in handy, right? Because you can't expect the perimeter to do all those things. They're busy, they have a lot to do. In addition to advising the Prince, is there a most important thing off the info they have or the info the the hierarchy receives? So we need somebody to be accessible. It's still bouncing around and adjudicating all the disputes and issues that a clan could have or that substrata of kindred they look after as permagen. And easily you can see the point of a whip and somebody really good trying to prove themselves. That's a good position for them. Keeps them busy. It keeps them from being able to just usurp your position because good luck handling all those disputes without coming away with something on it, right? So it's a good structure. It's a good idea, but the Prince is rather busy. They don't get to just be rule maker, tradition decider. That's in addition to everything else. And they serve this role because the justice cars tell them we acknowledge your right and authority over the city and we expect it to be calm and we expect it to run and we expect to stay Camarilla. That's a huge, huge thing to do. The Seneschal's Role: Execution, Continuity, and Problem Solving So they have a seneschal, right? That's what the Prince is going to nominate. Why? Same reason a primogen we went over has a whip. And it's my favorite unsung office, really. Because the seneschal, if, if the prince's vision, then the seneschal is execution of that vision. You know, every successful organization has one. The CEO as a chief operating officer, king as a chancellor general as a chief of staff, you get it. And the Prince has the seneschal. You know, the book says the seneschal is empowered to act when the Prince is unavailable, guides the ruler, and can even claim temporary practices if the Prince disappears. It also notes that the office often overlaps with others, showing how flexible and indispensable the rule really is. So think about it. If the Prince gets kidnapped, falls in the torpor, simply vanishes. Once to vacation, does the city stop functioning? It can't, because someone has to keep the lights on. Someone still has to hold court, still has to answer emergencies. And that's the seneschal. They represent continuity and most players want to be the Prince. Honestly, I'd rather play the Seneschal because the Seneschal gets to influence everything without always standing in the spotlight, and they're involved in everything. And if you think about it, the Seneschal is going to get called on more than the Prince will because the buck stops at the Seneschal. You think you have a problem, you go to the seneschal to decide, do I have a problem? Maybe the Seneschal has a solution, Most likely does. We don't bother the Prince with this. That's often what you're going to hear, but you will deal with me. And they're they're amenable if that's their if that's if that's their disposition. Sometimes not salt to taste. But the seneschal isn't the only one who gets to have that ability, right, Because the seneschal knows there are others who kind of supervise and go over stuff like that. Because the seneschal hands more city problems to get to get an idea of what the seneschal would handle. Acknowledgement out of schedule, meaning there's a near do well who came to the city tonight needs to see the Prince and the Herald brings the brings it to the attention of the Seneschal. And the seneschal and the herald discuss when is the Prince not busy? More importantly, did the sheriff vet them? This person said they are who they are. Do we have any way to prove they are who they are? And those positions have to come together under the Seneschal's management to make certain the information is valid. Then bother the Prince with the acknowledgement. Then have the Prince decide if that person needs to be met now or later. That's an example for the Seneschal. Let's say there's a sudden masquerade breach and the sheriff goes to March into an important meeting the Prince is having. The Seneschal stands and talks to the Sheriff and explains to the sheriff what happened. We know who did it. We know they're a usual offender, but we know this wasn't their problem. When we know the Sabbat came for them in the city, and I know the Sabbat are here. I need to tell the Prince. And the Seneschal simply looks someone goes. Or perhaps there's the Anarchs, plays devil's advocate, and the sheriff's like, I know what I saw. Whatever that drama might be, the Seneschal's telling them, make certain don't bring your BS here and say what you think it is. You're the sheriff. Handle it. Handle it and utilize those in the positions that we have to make certain we get a clear picture of what to do. Because when the Prince decides on this, and I will inform the Prince of this incident, when the Prince decides on this, that's the city being marshaled to handle your choice of your, your findings. So let's make sure it's the right findings, huh? That's the Seneshal. Before you bother the boss, make certain you check with your supervisor. Send us all that supervisor. Right? Primogen's Role: Representing Factions and Advising the Prince Well then, what are the Primogen? Primogen are constantly misunderstood. Often players tend to think they're clan leaders only. Sometimes they can be. Maybe they aren't, but I think the book frames them in a much more interesting way. They deliberate them as representatives, right? Because they represent influence, constituencies, clan cults, economic factions, ideology. The book even points out that modern nights representation often depends on who actually matters in the city, not simply the traditional 7 clans. Some cities are even ruled by their permission council instead of a Prince itself, and that tells us something important. Politics adapts. The title stays the same, but the people represented can change. I love seeing, you know, the whip receive attention, but most players forget that the whip even exists. But politically, they're incredibly interesting, as I've already talked about. Then there's the deputy, right? The the, the deputy's an organizer of a type and dealing with the sheriff and everything else. Then you can have an organizer just be an organizer. You know, the person filtering complaints before they ever reach the primogen. Sometimes the most influential person in politics isn't sitting at the table. They're deciding what reaches the table. Keeper of Elysium: Neutral Ground, Diplomacy, and Political Influence And that's a great position. And the primogen, if, if everyone, if all the other positions and everyone in the city does that for the primogen, then the primogen do that for the seneschal on up to the Prince. That's what they're advising. And I want to point out instead of it just being about titles, like it just being the primogen of clan. So and so sure they happen to be of that clan. And sure, you can consider them to be the head of that clan, whatever you want to call it. They don't have to be. It could also be a religious bent to a person in permission in permission position. And I enjoy that. It could be a political faction is a primogen. Yes, I could be the premature council member in the Camarilla represented here for my ties to the Anarchs. I am the Anarch Primogen because we wish to have good relations with the Anarchs. Not all Anarchs are bastards, but they don't want to belong to the Camarilla in the modern nights because we're a firm. We realize that's an asset because the area they have is the Wild Bunch. But we want to control because it's better having them as neighbors, because they're a buffer against Dun Dun Dun the Sabbat or the Werewolves or whatever else could be there. The Second Inquisition. Better they prey upon these Anarchs who need to have representative than not. And we're willing to pay for the privilege. Just don't tell them that. Oh, no problem, says the Anarch Bruja liaison. I'm already kind of doing that anyway. Well, let us help you. Deals made. Welcome to a permission seat. That's doable now, and you could see that, and that's a potential. However, Keeper of Elysium is another office that's often underestimated. I'd say the one that's just overlooked. To me, it's a super powerful position because people who keep people here, the Keeper of Elysium, immediately picture someone organizing parties. No, they're protecting neutral ground. Think about how impossible vampire politics becomes if every meeting risks violence. And it does, right? Where do enemies negotiate? Where do you get rival clans to meet, archons to arrive? Visiting dignitaries to stay Elysium? It's the easiest solution. The Keeper isn't maintaining a museum, they're protecting diplomacy itself. Without Elysium, every disagreement eventually becomes a fight. And when you think about Elysium, that's why places like museums are chosen, these traditional historical places, because by culture we know don't break the stuff in here. It's irreplaceable. It's super valuable. It gives an ambiance that we can't be violent here, we can't be loud here, we can't let go here because that ruins something. It ruins our sanctity, it ruins what we're trying to do, and it helps unconsciously enforce what Elysium is and what it stands for. That's why it is the way it is. But a Keeper of Elysium also by maintaining Elysium, they're the ones who hideaway evidence of something going bad. They're the ones that arrange a beat stick room if it's needed for interrogation. They're the ones who arrange a place for someone to stay in that Elysium if it's possible, because a dignitary needs to be protected and this is where we're going to keep them. They're the ones to arrange all that. More importantly, they cater to elders. Elders ask them to arrange or set up a night of entertainment and an Elysium and pay them in favors. You know, they open the books for them. They do whatever they do, whatever it is to cultivate the favor of the Keeper, because it becomes a whole other thing when you have the Keeper attend your function and they're there to make sure it's enforced and protected. And guess what? The Keeper does naturally invites the Herald, naturally brings others to the party, and this adds to what you're trying to do. So if you're trying to impress an Elder, this becomes its own political activity to do the same thing involving the Keeper of Elysium, who is also gauging you and how you set this up for their own benefit. Because the Keeper of Elysium is always needing assistance. It's always needing others to help them, whether you're of a Marshall Bent and you're great with security or you're somebody who's good with the occult and that's more security or just interesting. Just being an interesting person is something the Keeper Elysium has. It's a social function that meets many political ramifications as well across the board. And this is somebody you're often going to see in the presence of the Prince, the seneschal freely. In a lot of ways, I like to think the Keeper Elysium is almost like HR in a company. You ever noticed that the head of your HR always gets to walk around and brings coffee and talks and laughs at the boss and everybody else? Because we all know they're just here to protect the company, right? Everybody knows that. And so that's kind of what the Keeper leasing does. I'm here to protect the Elysium for the Camarilla here in the city. I'm not necessarily here for you in a titled position. There's no favoritism. I'm just a hell of a person I have around and I'm an interesting person for the role. That's a lot of plot hooks. Trust me. If you break that down, rewind it, listen to it, slowly write stuff down, you're going to get that. That's way more than just saying everybody. We're meeting at such and such tonight. I hope you have a good time. Don't forget the free blood punch, blah, blah, blah. Yes, that's part of it. Yes, they can do that or choose not to, and that's how one can show favor or take it away as well. But they're much more, and to me, above the Sheriff for that very reason, because their political position is more important now. The Sheriff's Role: Enforcing Will and Preventing Violence The sheriff is easy to understand. We'll just go to him. Their force, that's exactly what they are. We talked about force earlier in the episode, and the Sheriff is the embodiment of it. They're not simply the strongest vampire. If they're the strongest vampire, they're the vampire trusted to enforce the court's decisions. And that's important. If a sheriff depends, excuse me, if the sheriff spends all their time fighting, something is already wrong, because the best sheriff is probably the one who rarely needs to draw a weapon. And that's because the reputation resolves problems before violence begins. And that's across the board. Your sheriff should be somebody capable of ultra violence representing the Prince in that regard, or more fearfully often find this is better. The sheriff represents somebody who has teamed up with the Prince and is there to cage the Prince and curb her violence when she chooses to let go and is one of the only people in the city to do that. And the sheriff often tells you you'd rather deal with me than you would the Prince, and I may let you off the hook, you would just owe me. And that depends. But she she'll consider it a fun night or run out the arena. I'll have to shut down a city block. It'll be you and her. And I don't know how long you can scream, but I know she's going to make you answer that question. So let's not do that. Let's let's not see the depredation of our parents. Forget who you think she is. That's another good sheriff angle. I also like the sheriff angle where it is. Yeah, I'm a badass, but I'm in a business suit. I'm a nice guy. We could talk. Well, why should I fear you? Says the punk Brewer. And he goes, oh, you shouldn't. But please, give me a reason. Right now. We're talking, should I not? What have you done, by the way? I already know. Just assume I already know. But I want to hear you first. I want you to feel hurt. Go ahead. Tell me what you think. I don't know. That's another way to establish fear. Because odds are, the Sheriff does know. They're well connected. They have the hierarchy back in them. The hierarchy no doubt knows of your breach in the masquerade you tried to cover up. No doubt already knows. But the fact that you covered it up, nobody needs to say anything none the wiser. But then why are you talking to the sheriff? Because your fear and respect brought you to the sheriff to let them know and to say, hey, in case I didn't, I'm belling up to the bar. Does two things. Tells the Camarillo their city's well run, that somebody can come to the sheriff and admit that doesn't put you in danger. It absolutely puts you on notice and in danger. But while you bear your throat to the sheriff, the sheriff realizes I don't have to do a thing with this individual. You already amazingly get it and because of that, I'm inclined to help you. Don't worry about it. I know what you did and you did put efforts to it. I would have done something different. This is your one time. I'm going to look the other way. Don't let it happen again. Well done though, and covering it up. That's the share. If you want that relationship lets you know you're eye to eye. You respect the position. He knows he or she knows who you are. Fantastic. Go about your day. You don't want to be the person who sits there thinking you got away with it too. Later on, have a sheriff and the deputies have a different conversation with you. I think that happens a lot more than people care to admit. And that's just a it's a poor usage of it. The sheriff's also the one to talk to people in positions who think they're untouchable, right, because they're immune to them. If you think about it, the sheriff has to be immune if I go to talk to a Permagen because they were involved in something that caused a problem for the city and the and the Prince is going to want someone to answer for it. I am the guy to go to that Permagen and remind them of their forget the title. You know where you're at. You know what I could do. So let's skip it. Let's talk about what occurred and let's get to the thick of it. And that's a different political position, but they have that power. That's the fun part. Now woe to the person who decides to buck back and tell that sheriff did to eat it. Like I'm a Permagen. I don't answer to you often. Every Brewer Permagen ever made. And this just cause to the sheriff, they make a phone call to the Prince. What do you think the Prince does? All right, keep it under wraps. They said it. They didn't strike you. So it's bravado, but bravado costs gone or whatever the bravado Brimagen was going to ask the Prince for like the next decade or whatever they're going to do. It burns bridges. It burns connections they had. They make it to where you've now told the rest of the hierarchy you're a tyrant and they're going to prepare accordingly. That's the danger. So it's also the power of the sheriff, right? Investigating is paramount. The Herald's Evolution: Shaping Understanding and Managing Communication Now. The Herald, I think this is the most interesting change in the entire chapter is the Herald itself. And, and perhaps really, as I see it, it's the evolution of the harpy role as it's gone now. Older editions gave us the harpy, one of my favorite positions in Vampire, not because they held official authority, but it's because they didn't. The Harpy became influential because everyone listened to them. They controlled reputation, fashion, opinion, status, what stories to believe, what stories to create. All hogwash. Gaslight people don't gaslight people. It's all based on favoritism and the laws of crustacean. They could elevate someone with a compliment or destroy them with a single cutting remark socially. And that informal influence made the Harpy one of the most feared vampires in any city. What 5th edition does, though, is fascinating. It doesn't remove that role, it expands it. The book lists the Herald as the formal office, while explicitly recognizing Harpy as one of the alternating titles alongside Whisper Ambassador, The News, the voice of the Prince. That's a brilliant evolution, because suddenly this isn't just the court gossip anymore. This is the official voice of the court. And think about the responsibilities there to deliver messages to important people. I even the city, if needed, represent the Prince speaking to foreign domains, right? I can go to another city and speak to someone. I can go to the anarchist and speak to them as the Herald. I can go. Even weird as it may be, you may have a plot hook where the Sabbat want to talk. It's the Herald that has to go there. And that's, that's, that's a fun role, right? Managing communication, setting up the means for people to talk, setting those very meetings up, working with the Keeper, no doubt announcing decisions. The Prince has made a proclamation. They explain policy, they dictate policy, They tell you how the policy will work according to the opinions of the Prince itself. And that's a tremendous amount of influence. And here's what I love the Herald doesn't actually make most of those decisions. They shape how everyone understands those decisions. And that's a very different thing. History is filled with rulers who discovered that controlling information is almost as important as controlling armies. You know, the Herald sits right in the middle of that. And that raises a question, You know, I'd, I'd like people's answers to this if, if you care to submit them. But who has more influence, the sheriff, who can enforce the prince's will or the herald who decides how the Prince, how the prince's will is understood? And honestly, I can't answer that. I think it's a fun thing to think about enforcement or how it's understood. Is, is, is a very powerful mirror. I like to hold up because that's exactly why I love this office. You know, I'd, I'd argue that the Herald might be one of the best player character positions in the entire Camarilla game. And, and why is because they're naturally interact with everyone, right? The Prince, the seneschal, the primogen, visitors, foreign domains, archons, you name it. Every political conversation eventually passes through the Herald. And that's incredible storytelling potential and what a good position for a player to be in. You know, after finishing this chapter, came away looking at something. I knew I forgot something and I mentioned it and I want to find it again here and let me dig it up real fast. Shouldn't be too hard. There's a there's a position here that they get into that I really enjoy and has everything to do with the shadow. Shadow, Principle, and Ritualist: Specialized Court Positions So that's the name of it. It's the shadow of a court. It's somebody who is nominated to be say you do accounting and you come in and you bring in a coterie. The shadow is the one that's appointed. It could be any kindred to show you the ropes, to show you how the city does things, to put you in positions and to make it to what it needs to be. And that's and that's how it has to be. I enjoy that position thoroughly in the fact of its inclusion. And it's not just the shadow. The, the other rules they roll into here is, well, I, I, I pause because I see it. And then, you know, almost immediately in the writing, they, they doubt that you need it, but if you needed it, it's there. And I would say it's the principle of faith. And I think it's because it's a complex role, adding to the complexity of everything else. And the principle is somebody who guides the religious community of a kindred city, you know, keeping an eye on cult activity, guarding and remembering holy text and Kindred lore, you know, leading Kindred ceremonies is what they mentioned. And The thing is not, not every government is going to need it, and particularly for the camera, not every city is going to have one It it assumes a focus on faith. And if you do, here's that role. I understand it. I just kind of roll my eyes to it only because it's, well, there's an edition of Vampire you could play called Requiem that already has this. And it definitely feels like we're now directly mining from Requiem to add to V5 and just play Requiem. You know what I mean? That's what sticks out of my head. I don't think the religions are powerful enough to include in AV 20 game or AV5 game. They're not. It's not there, right? That world is in here, but where if you look at Requiem from the get go, IT projects a different type of kindred in a different political strata. And I think it's a stronger thing where you would see somebody having that title. And they do have a version that's there as well, but that's that. But they're here too. If you would need that flavor. Court Ritualist is another one. And insert everything I just said here too, but basically thought it gives Thalmaturges something to do. You know, a Thalmaturge can make a decent existence for themselves in the camera of the city, as they say. And and that as that city sorcerer, which I don't know, I've I've not played with it. I'm not going to Pooh Pooh it. I think that it's interesting. I just don't know why. So, you know, I guess the chimera are gone, but they're not gone. We still have a role for them and learning and leading rituals for the protection of the court and guarding a court collection of occult materials, leading kindred ceremonies. I get it. Those are tasks they could do. But why? Why doesn't the people have a title who have those powers do it? It's kind of an advantage for them, right? And I guess it's to give someone something to do. So they could be like, hey, you know, the Tamir gone, but I have usage. I can ward your haven, use me, release me to your charge, whatever that might be. I guess that's that role. But as I think of it and I look at it, I laugh at it because ultimately, where's, where's your power, Boo? You can, you can give me a ritual over my haven. I don't even want you to know where I live, my dude. Right. That's immediately where my head goes, right? We're going back to what's essential. And what's essential is you staying away from me with your hoodoo 'cause if I don't have Thalman turgy, why do I want you using it on me? That's my first go to thought. But not everybody's that way. And maybe they have the magic of burner phones. I don't know, but they're there. They include them and it's at least adding something quote UN quote interesting. I just, I just scrambled to see irrelevance beyond a Tremere pandering for I'm still important. Don't forget about me. The Guest Hostage: A Controversial Role for Treaty Assurance Now I'll mention the shadow, but the last one is guest hostage. This made me actually spew liquid from my nose when I saw it because there's No title for just guest hostage. This, I'm gonna state it because because what it is is that they mentioned sometimes neighboring domains or conflicting factions find it useful to exchange hostages. OK, so we're exchanging hostages directly, right? And what they bring up is this custom can be very elegant, as set by the example of Tigerius arrival into torture territory, or it can be a simple transaction of insurance, right? You won't get out of get out of sorts because we won't get out of sorts because we changed children or whatever it is. And the guest hostage job is to represent a a court or a bloodline or clan in another domain, you know, acting as insurance that that treaties will will not be broken is what they have. I, I don't know, I don't know, it's something in the book. You'd be the judge if you like it or not. I, I, I chuckled to even see it because right there where we're grasping at straws of importance, I feel, and it's OK to do that. You know, you're adding content in the book and we all like new stuff and there it is. But let me, let me close it with that. From Stakes to Titles: Understanding the Camarilla's Structure I think that's where we'll leave it here for, for, for now. We spent this episode building ivory tower from the ground up, started with the stakes and then with the kindred titles dealt with the political frameworks and we export a lot rules, traditions, etcetera. There's a lot more in this book that goes in detail. We're going to tackle another another portion of this on Saturday with well, for me, Saturday is the goal, and that's with the DJ and Mike. And we're going to pick up where I left off. And hopefully we'll move beyond the foundations and into the rest of the courts of the damned with the the people conflicts and sort of the opposites right as we get into autark and etcetera. And we'll we'll look at those. And until then, thanks for listening. We'll get this out to you. I understand that my vacation I went on cut out a week and you should have this a lot sooner, but better late than never. And this is coming out on the wire. Thanks everybody. Speaker 1 Thank you for listening to our 25 Years of Vampire the Masquerade podcast. If you liked what you heard, please reach out and let us know on Twitter at 25 Years of VTM, at our e-mail info at 25 Years vtm.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com slash 25 Years VTM, or on our website www.25yearsvtm.com. If you would like to support us, we can be found at patreon.com slash 25 Years of Vampire the Masquerade.